‘I think I’m a failure as a captain’: SL’s Chamari Athapaththu after loss to WI
Sri Lanka still have a sliver of chance of qualifying for the next round if they can win their matches vs Ireland and Scotland and if other fixtures go their way.
Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
With Sri Lanka almost on the brink of a T20 World Cup exit after their comprehensive loss to West indies on Sunday, an emotional skipper Chamari Athapaththu took the blame for the team’s performance, saying that she was a failure as a captain.
“Actually, it’s a sadness beyond words. I think I played around 18 years for the national team and I could never get a chance to take my team into a semi-final of a World Cup. Even though I have achieved many things personally, I think I’m a failure as a captain, because I think that’s big pain for a player. Actually, now I have to be with that pain,” Chamari said.
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“I think I tried my best, I think I should have played more responsible than this and if I have played more responsible than this today, we could have won this match today. So, I regret that. Especially I don’t like to blame anyone and I think I have more responsibility as a player, as the captain of the team and as a player with more experience. So, I’m very sad, I feel like I lost my last chance,” she added.
Sri Lanka still have a sliver of chance of qualifying for the next round if they can win their matches vs Ireland and Scotland and if other fixtures go their way.
They have not had the best of tournaments, winning just 1 out of the 3 matches they have played. They defeated New Zealand while losing to England and West Indies respectively.
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In the match on Sunday, Sri Lanka batted first and were bundled out for just 98 runs with Chamari scoring just 2. Nilakshika Silva was the top scorer with 30 runs while Kavisha Dilhari chipped in with 21. 7 batters in the lineup finished with single digits while Hayley Matthews took 3 wickets for the West Indies.
The Windies almost made a meal of the chase, losing 5 wickets before finally reaching the target in 16.1 overs.
Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2 match between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2026. (Nigel French/PA via AP) 
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